Explanatory note for the submission of information on
enforced or involuntary disappearances of persons

Reports of enforced or involuntary disappearances of persons
may be transmitted to the Working Group on Enforced or
Involuntary Disappearances of the Commission of Human Rights, c/o
Centre for Human Rights, United Nations Office at Geneva, CH-1211
Geneva 10, Switzerland, cable address UNATIONS GENEVA, telex
289696.

Experience has shown that information on the enforced or
involuntary disappearance of a person varies greatly in detail by
reason of the nature of each case and the surrounding
circumstances. While it is important to receive as much
information as possible, missing details should not prevent the
submission of reports. However, the Working Group can only deal
with clearly identified individual cases containing the following
minimum elements of information:

Full name of the missing person (including any available
data relevant to the missing person's identification,
such as national identity document number, photograph,
etc.);

Year, month, day of the disappearance;

Place of arrest or abduction or where the missing person
was last seen;

Indication of the persons believed to have carried out
the arrest or abduction;

Indication of the action taken by the relatives or others
to locate the missing person (inquiries with authorities,
habeas corpus petitions, etc.);

Identity of the person or organization submitting the
report (name and address, which will be kept confidential
upon request).

Information on the enforced or involuntary disappearance of a
person may be submitted in any written form, in urgent cases
preferably by cable or telex. In submitting such reports,
consideration may be given to preparing a narrative summary of
the events and providing, to the extent possible, the information
listed on the attached form. A photograph of the missing person
and annexes, such as habeas corpus petitions or statements of
witnesses, can be sent with the suggested form. Please send only
copies of documents, the originals should remain in your files.
The person or organization making the reports should be clearly
identified and an address should be given at which they can be
contacted. If the author of the report is not a relative of the
missing person, but acts, directly or indirectly, upon the
family's request, he should remain in contact with the family,
since any replies obtained by the Working Group on the missing
person's fate or whereabouts are for the exclusive information of
the relatives.

REPORT ON THE ENFORCED OR INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCE OF A
PERSON

I. Identity of the person subjected to enforced or involuntary
disappearance

Year, month, day and hour when missing person was
arrested or abducted:

Year, month, day and hour when missing person was last
seen:

Other indications relating to date of disappearance:

III. Place of disappearance

(Please indicate as precisely as possible country, province,
city, location, etc. and if identical with home address)

Place where missing person was arrested or abducted:

Place where missing person was last seen:

If subsequent to the disappearance of the person
information was received about him/her being detained,
please indicate, if possible, the places (official or
others) and period of detention, as well as the source of
the information, in particular witnesses who have seen
the disappeared person in captivity. (Do you wish the
identity of the witnesses or sources to be kept
confidential?)

Other indications concerning the place of disappearance:

IV. Forces believed to be responsible for the disappearance

If the person was arrested or abducted, please indicate
who carried out the arrest: military, police, persons in
uniform or civilian clothes, agents of security services,
unidentified; whether these agents identified themselves
(with credentials, orally, etc.); whether they were
armed; whether they appeared to act with impunity;
whether a vehicle was used (official, with or without
licence plages, etc.).

If the forces or agents who carried out the arrest or
abduction cannot be identified, state why you believe
that Government authorities, or persons linked to them,
are responsible for the disappearance:

If the arrest or abduction took place in the presence of
witnesses indicate the names of the witnesses. If the
witnesses have not identified themselves or wish to
withhold their names, indicate if they are relatives,
neighbours, bypassers etc.:

If any written evidence of the arrest exists, please
describe (arrest order, communiqués, official notes,
letters, etc.);

If a search took place of the missing person's domicile,
office of place of work (or that of any other person
connected with him/her), before, during or after the
disappearance, please indicate and describe the search:

If someone was questioned concerning the disappeared
person by agents of the security services, official
authorities or other persons related to them, before of
after the arrest (or disappearance), please indicate and
provide available information concerning the questioning:

V. National action (legal or other) on behalf of the missing
person

Habeas corpus, amparo or similar

Nature of the action:

Date:

Tribunal:

Result (date and nature):

If a judicial decision exists please indicate its
contents, if possible:

Criminal complaints

Nature of the action:

Date:

Tribunal:

Result (date and nature):

If a judicial decision exists please indicate its
contents, if possible:

Other measures taken at the national level

(Letters, petitions, etc., or other steps taken before the
civil or military authorities):

VI. Measures taken at the international level on behalf of the
missing person

Organizations addressed

Date:

Result (date and nature):

VII. Related cases of arrest or disappearance, in particular
missing relatives of children.